Five arrested over Birbhum violence

Five people were arrested and 10 others detained on Wednesday in connection with a political clash in West Bengal that left three people dead, police said.

The clash, allegedly between activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took place in Birbhum district’s Makra village Monday. Indiscriminate firing by miscreants left three dead and over a dozen injured.

“In pursuance of the first information reports filed by the victims’ families, we have arrested five people and detained 10 others for questioning,” additional superintendent of police (Birbhum) Ananda Roy said.

“We are looking for more people involved in the clash,” Roy said.

The BJP, which demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident, sent a delegation to the village to assess the situation.

Alleging that police had remained “inactive” following a directive from the seat of power “Nabanna”, state BJP president Rahul Sinha has demanded a CBI probe. The party has also moved the Calcutta High Court on the issue.

Expressing concern over the rising instances of political clashes in the state, the opposition Left Front too has sent a delegation to the village.

Led by Anisur Rahman, a Left Front team is on a visit to the village and Panrui area in the district, where three policemen, including an officer, were injured in a bomb attack on them.